BROOKLYN, N.Y. - Carolina Salguero is donating computers for students at Red Hook's Summit Charter School for at home learning.  

The founder and executive director of the PortSide New York waterfront organization, housed on a ship called the Mary A. Whalen, has also been live streaming nightly sunsets from the top of the wheelhouse.

"People post questions and make statements and comments so it's become a little bit of a family," said Carolina Salguero, Founder and Executive Director of PortSide New York.

PortSide is just one of the organizations in Red Hook that sprang into action to help the neighborhood impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak - another crisis for the neighborhood that was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

 

At Red Hook Winery, the tasting room has become a headquarters for Red Hook Relief, founded by Red Hook native Jacqui Painter. 

"We're doing everything we can. We do food delivery and distribution. We do PPE, masks, gloves distribution," Painter said.

And over at the Regency Events Space and Community Organization, a special delivery of relief items by horse and carriage to folks at the Red Hook Houses. Regency offers everyday items like diapers and coffee at low cost, and is a staging area for a laundry service - much needed after the neighborhood laundromat closed.

"We're just in a continuum of adjusting and pivoting to meet the changing needs of the different aspects of our community," said Kiki Valentine, a Red Hook resident.

How about pets? Danielle Vidals of Woofs and Whiskers Pet Boarding and Harriet Zucker of Red Hook Dog Rescue put together an event to give away 6,000 pounds of donated pet food. 

"The first two hours we counted at least 230 families coming through and by my estimates I think we fed at least 500 pets," Vidals said.

 

Something else you will find in Red Hook is a "Thank You" wall from artist David Gonzalez. He was born and raised in the community and it's his way of saying thanks to first responders and frontline workers.

"I'm fortunate because I can do this work inside, you know it takes time and it keeps me sane," Gonzalez said.

Folks say a culture and pattern of helping was established after Sandy, which has made these rapid and creative responses to coronavirus possible.